Isle Of Wight Festival 2021 reaffirms plans to go ahead after government's latest unlocking announcement

Isle Of Wight Festival has reaffirmed its plans to go ahead with its 2021 event following the government’s latest announcement about full coronavirus unlocking in England.

Promoter John Giddings was asked by a fan on Twitter today (July 5) whether the delayed event will go ahead. “What do you think? You heard the same broadcast that I did! Here we come @IsleOfWightFest’21!!” responded Giddings.

While there is yet to be an official announcement by the Isle Of Wight Festival nor confirmation yet from the government that July 19 aka ‘Freedom Day’ will proceed as planned, it appears that organisers are still readying for the festival’s return.

Giddings previously stressed that he and organisers were “selfish” in wanting the event to press ahead. In January, he suggested to NME that live crew workers and music venues could come together to help the mass roll-out of coronavirus vaccinations in order to save festival season – including Isle Of Wight.

“We’re all sitting here moving tours left, right and centre, employing people for a year without any income, and everything I’m reading gives me less and less confidence in this vaccine being rolled out in time to make things happen,” Giddings told NME.

“It’s a very selfish thing – I want to make the Isle Of Wight Festival happen. The only way it will happen is if we get enough people vaccinated and we’re capable of doing a test very quickly.”

However, as per today’s announcement in which Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed the removal all coronavirus legal limits from July 19, pending a data review, it’s understood that English festivals will not require such testing. Provided July 19 is unrolled as planned, there will also be no capacity limits at festivals.

In March, Isle Of Wight Festival was pushed back to September after it was confirmed that England’s roadmap out of coronavirus lockdown would provisionally allow large-scale events to return from the end of June. The June 21 date was later delayed.

The Seaclose Park festival was originally set to take place from June 17-20 but will now happen September 16-19. Headline sets will come from Liam Gallagher, Duran Duran, David Guetta and Snow Patrol.

Events including Reading & Leeds Festival, Parklife Festival and Green Man Festival also previously announced plans to go ahead this year.

Leading live music industry figures have welcomed the government’s latest announcement but have also stressed that the full unlocking has come “too late”. They also continue to urge for government-backed insurance.

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